Magic Nannies may Never Love (Bert and Mary)
by WroteUpAnAppetite
Summary: I love the couple of Bert and Mary. From what I can see, Bert is just totally crushing on her, he loves her, and for some reason she refuses to love him, or something. Anywho, I wanted to give my idea on why Mary can't love Bert. This one-shot is a little more musical based than movie based.
1. Magic Nannies May Never Love

(Almost 30 years before 1910)

"Mary Poppins, you have been sentenced to 30 years of serving. You will watch over all children, caring for them, and when the winds change, you must go and find new ones to take care of," a great, and mighty voice shouted.

"I"m sorry! I never meant to do those families harm! Please, in 30 years I will be old, and my beauty will be lost! My life will be half over by then!" a young adult female stood in the empty realm of nothingness, her dark brown hair flowing as a sharp gust tried to blow her away.

"Do not fear, you will not age during these 30 years. You will pay for your crimes, and then you can go back, still the same 20 year old woman you are now," the great voice eased a simple fear. She let out a sigh of relief, but it was short lived. "But you can never go back to your family, not now, and not in 30 years. You're family has forgotten you existed. Everyone in your life has forgotten about you, Mary Poppins."

Mary fell to her knees, crying in her hands. She sat there for an hour, as she tried to understand what would become of her. Finally she looked up into the nothingness, where the voice came from. "Can I try to start a new life, can I find love, while I am working as a nanny?" she asked.

"No, your duty is to the children now. I have bestowed upon you magic, that will help you care for the children you meet. In 30 years, if you go by without breaking any of the rules set, then you will be free from this curse, and you can go and start a new life," the voice said.

Mary Poppins nodded, and the wind brushed her away.

The dark brown hair blinked her eyes open, looking around at her surroundings. She looked beside her to see a young, sleeping man. She quickly remembered her duties. Mary apologized to him, softly, and packed her bag. She left the inn, and shivered as the cold London air sent chills up her spine.

The young woman walked for a while, until she grew tired. She sat on bench in the park, and started crying softly. She could never go back to her family, not to her mother, or her father, or her brother, or her sister. They would not remember her, no one did.

"Are you crying, ma'am?" a little voice asked. Mary looked down and was face to face with a little boy, no more than 8 she supposed, with black hair and sparkling blue eyes. Truly an adorable child. Was this the first kid she would take care of?

"It's alright, just a bit of bad luck," she murmured, wiping her eyes. The little boy reached into his pocket and grabbed a small, red handkerchief, and offered it to her. "Thank you," she smiled, wiping away the tears, and handing it back to him.

The little boy stuffed it away. "Shake my 'and," he said, holding out his hand. She looked confused at him. "Don't you know it's lucky to shake a chimney sweep's 'and?" he asked.

She chuckled. "You look a little too young to be a chimney sweep," she smiled at him.

"Oh but I will be, and my father is!" he exclaimed. She reached over and shook his small hand.

"Now you have good luck," he gave an adorable, two missing front teeth, grin. "What's your name, ma'am?"

Mary hesitated, she did not have to make a new name for herself, did she? No, no one remembered her. "Mary Poppins," she told him.

"That's a pretty name! My name's Bert!" he exclaimed. She realized that this boy was not one she would be taking care of. But there was something about him. Maybe in a couple years she would be caring for him.

"I think that's a great name, Bert," she smiled.

"I saw you walking earlier, are you 'eaded somewhere?" he asked.

"Yes, I'm leaving London for a while, to go take care of some kids," she explained.

"I see," he murmured. There was a voice calling his name. "Oh, that's my mum. I better be going. Don't stay away too long, Mary Poppins!" he nodded to me, and waved, before running off.

I would have to visit him, whenever I got back to London.

(15 years before 1910)

"Mary, please. We can settle down, and raise our own family. You will be 'elping raise kids then," the tall, black haired man insisted. He had grown into quite a fine man. Strong, and charming. His normally sparkling blue eyes held confusion, and sadness.

Mary does not want to admit it to him, that she love him. She love him more than anyone. She has openly told him and he has accepted that she am magic, but Mary can not tell him that this is only a curse. It would break the rules. Mary can't tell him why she can't love him. She can't tell him what she used to be.

It's been 15 years since the curse and powers were bestowed on her. At first, it was easy. Raising children, and letting the wind take her to new ones, when the old ones were ready.

But then 5 years ago, she happened upon Bert again. He has just turned 18, and she found feelings had arisen that she had not felt in 10 years. She spent time with him, while she was taking care of some children in London. It had been her first time there since she left.

But of course, the winds changed, and she had to leave. Mary encountered him again though, 1 year later when she came back, and she told him about her magic. Duties called her elsewhere again, and she returned 2 years later. He fell for her then, and they were in love. But she couldn't be with him, so she left.

Now she was here again, another 2 years later. Bert was 23 now, so he as biologically older than her, but she was still technically older than him.

"I'm sorry Bert, I have to go, the winds have changed. Other children are calling for me," she whispered, softly, tears in her eyes.

"But Mary, please listen!" he pleaded. He was crying too.

"I'm sorry Bert, I don't love you," she sobbed, taking her umbrella out, and letting the winds take her away. She took one last look at him, as he crumpled to the ground, sobbing into his hands. _I don't mean it Bert, please don't hate me._

(1910)

"Are you 'eaded off again?" a strong voice asked. Mary turned away from the young Michael, who had run back to the house, following his sister. She looked at the tall, gentleman before her. His blue eyes sparkled softly, and had just a hint of sadness in them

"The winds have changed," she noted, walking over to Bert. They sat on the park bench together.

"I'll still wait for you," he murmured, softly gripping her hand. She let out a sob, and he reached into his pockets to hand her his handkerchief. She dried her tears, and handed it back to him. She only smiled slightly as he stuffed it back into his pocket, like he had done so many years ago, with that goofy smile on his face.

"I know you will," she chuckled, looking away from him and blushing.

They sat there, enjoying the cool breeze, until he lead her back to where his chalk drawings lay. He bent to clean up his things, and she leaned in and kissed his cheek. He looked up, surprised and blushing.

"For good luck," she smiled.

The two old friends laughed together. "And Mary…" Bert started, once they calmed down.

"Yes, Bert?" she asked.

"I don't love you too," he smiled. She nodded, blushing, and heading towards the Banks House.

"Don't stay away too long!" he called out to her, waving.

Mary waved back at him. For now, she could not love him, but in just 6 months time, she can finally tell him everything she has dreamed to say to him.


	2. But When the Spell Breaks

But When the Spell Breaks

Mary jerked awake, eyes shooting open, and she looked around at her surroundings. She had crashed in an inn last night, she guessed, but why.

She rubbed her eyes, ridding of the sleep from them, and looked around the room. At her bedside sat an umbrella. The umbrella seemed familiar, but it was missing, something. She picked it up, examining it closer to find that the handle was different. It used to be a bird, but now it was like any old normal umbrella.

She heard chirping at the window, and looked over at a small bird, inside her room, pecking at it. And it all came back to her.

Mary remembered the past 30 years. She glanced at a calendar in the room, to find that indeed, it was 1910. The last time she had checked a calendar in this state, it was 1880.

She stood up, realizing the bird was the one on her umbrella, and went over to it. "My curse, has it been broken?" she asked him. He looked up at her, confused. He chirped, but it only sounded like chirping. Indeed, her magic was gone. She couldn't understand him.

She opened the window, hearing the rain pour outside, and let him fly away. "Goodbye," she called out to him.

The young woman picked up her carpet bag, to find that it was no longer endless. The tape measure still sat though, she looked at it, and found that it just read normal height now.

It wasn't hitting her yet. Maybe this was all just a dream, and she would wake up the next morning to find that she still had her powers, and would be leaving to find the next child in need.

Rustling around her bag, she poked her finger on a sharp needle. She winced, and looked at it. The blood told her that this was real.

She didn't feel pain before, she didn't bleed. She wasn't human before.

And here Mary was now, wincing, and a drop of blood softly running down her finger. Mary Poppins was practically normal.

Why practically? Well, because she still looked 20 but was actually 50.

Then she remembered, Bert.

Mary tied her hair up, and looked through her outfits to decide what she wanted to wear. She quickly realized though, that if she saw anyone who recognized her, they would point her out, and ask her about her powers, and why she wasn't flying.

She grabbed a dress, that was probably 10 years out of fashion, that she had gotten from Uncle Albert, and wore that. She looked a little weird in it. It was a bit uncomfortable, because she was so used to wearing her normal coat and skirt, and hat.

Mary packed the rest of her things, and checked out of the inn. She used the umbrella to protect herself from the rain, as she walked the streets of London. Her mission was to find Bert's place.

During her walk though, trying to find the street he lived on, a large gust of wind, much like the ones that blew her in to London yesterday, stole her umbrella from her. She rain now poured over her, as she ran, as fast as she could in heels, across the sidewalks, looking for his place.

By the time she found his street, her hair had been fallen out of it's tight bun, and hung loosely, clinging to her neck. She was cold and wet, and she just wanted to find Bert, to find his warm embrace.

Mary found his apartment, and knocked on his door, praying he was home on this cold day. She didn't think he out working, because of the whether. She knocked, and waited, then knocked again. "Bert!" she called.

"Coming," a voice called from inside. She heard footsteps coming to the door, and the door opened to reveal the tall, strong chimney sweep. His face turned from one of confusion to surprise. "Mary, I didn't expect ye to come back so shortly. 'ere, come in please," he held the door open for her, and closed it once she was in. He took her wet coat from her. He seemed shocked by her appearance. "You must be freezing, I'll get you some warm towels."

He ran to his closet, grabbing what he wanted, and gave a couple of warm towels to her, wrapping one around her shoulders. he pulled out a chair at the table for her to sit at, as Mary admired his apartment. She had only been in it a couple times since she had known him. "Would you like some tea?" he asked.

"Yes, please. Thank you, Bert," she dipped her head, sitting down.

"It's no problem, Mary," he smiled, and went off into his kitchen to make the tea. He came back once it was ready, and gave her a cup, and she held onto it, warming her hands. She took a sip from it.

"You're a mess Mary, not that I mind, but what were you doing outside in this weather?" he questioned, sitting down with her.

"Bert," she rested the cup down on the table. "I've lost my powers, the curse has been broken."

"What?" he was shocked, sitting up. "'ow long?"

"I woke up this morning, and they were gone. I wanted to see you immediately," she told him.

"I can't believe it, 'ow did you figure it out?" he asked.

She showed him the small cut on her finger, from the needle earlier. "Well, all the signs pointed to it. The bird on my umbrella flew away this morning, and when he chirped at me, I could not understand what he said. I cut my finger on a needle, and it started bleeding. I haven't been able to bleed, or feel pain for this time I have been cursed. I checked my tape measure, and it no longer read words, but numbers like any normal one. I'm free, Bert," she explained.

He noted that she didn't seem to excited about it. He took her hand. "Are you okay?" he asked. It must have come as a shock to her.

"I'm alright Bert, just a bit surprised. I thought it would never end. There's so much about this curse I have been wanting to tell you, and now I can, because it no longer haunts me," Mary started. She took a sip from her tea.

"So it was a curse, you were not born with it?" he asked.

"That's right, 30 years ago, the day we first met, a curse was placed on me, telling me that I had to follow the winds to take care of children. I was cursed because-" she broke off. Only one person knew why she was cursed, and that was Uncle Albert.

He took her hand again, "It's a'ight Mary, you don't have to say if you don't want to."

"It's okay, Bert. When I was a young woman, I started flirting with older men, who had families of their own. I had affairs with 30 different men, over 2 years of my life, because of this, I was sentenced to 30 years of helping children, to repay for the damage I had done," she explained. Mary hoped he didn't think any less of her now, for what she did.

He was speechless. Such a kind, caring, proper woman, was once such a daring, mischievous teenager. He swallowed. No, he had to be there for Mary, even if he could only be her friend. She needed a friend. A companion. 'Go on," he told her.

"My curse gave me powers, and kept me looking 20 for 30 years. But because of the curse, and what I did. Everyone had to forget me. The only one who remembered me was Uncle Albert. No one else who knew me before I was cursed, knows I exist now. My parents forgot about me, my brothers forgot about me. And all the families I wrecked, forgot I existed," she broke off, starting to cry. She wasn't able to be there for her mom, when her littlest brother, John, died. She wasn't able to be there for her family. She watched her parents die, without them knowing that they once had a daughter.

She was surprised when warm arms brought her into a hug. Bert didn't normally hug her, but here he was speaking soft words of comfort into her ear, in that charming cockney accent he had.

Mary calmed down, after a bit, and finished her tea, before it got too cold. Bert sat back down, ready to listen again. "The other thing I had to sacrafice was love. I was not allowed to love," she told him.

He looked up at her. "Wait, does that mean?"

She nodded, smiling softly. "Bert, I am free from the curse, so that means I am free to love."

"Well I hope you find a great guy," he told her, looking down a little.

"I already have," she told him. He jumped a bit, and she smiled brighter at him. "It's you I love, Bert, it always has been. I'm sorry I could not tell you this years ago, but it would have broken the rules. But now I am free, and I want to settle down, with you, Bert."

She was surprised to find that he brought her into his arms, and twirled her around. "Oh, Mary," he smiled so brightly, his blue eyes twinkling with the ever apparent happiness they showed. "I promise that I will love you for the rest of our long lives together," he told her, setting her down.

She leaned in, and kissed him softly. He was surprised, but then kissed her back. "I will love you too, Bert," and they kissed again.

Mary may not be able to jump into paintings, to talk to animals, or to fly in the winds anymore, but she had someone even better than all those combined. She had Bert, her long time companion, and the sweetest, kindest, man she had ever met.

Fin


End file.
